Alacritech 2000-100001 User manual

Alacritech

Server and Storage
Accelerator User’s Guide

Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide i
Preface
Disclaimer
The information in this document is subject to change without
notice. Alacritech reserves the right to change any portion of these
products for reasons such as improving performance or enhancing
functionality. Alacritech assumes no liability arising out of the
application or use of these products for anything other than its
intended purpose.
Copyright
This document is copyrighted material. No part of this document
may be copied by any means without the written permission of
Alacritech, Inc.
Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide,
Seventeenth Edition (February 2003).
This document describes the 100 and 1000 Series Server and
Storage Accelerators from Alacritech, Inc. This document is the
official reference source for all revisions/releases of these products
until rescinded by an update.
Copyright © 2000-2003 Alacritech, Inc. All rights reserved.
Alacritech, the Alacritech logo, SLIC Technology and the SLIC
Technology logo are registered trademarks of Alacritech, Inc. in the
United States. All other marks belong to their respective owners.
Patents
One or more United States and international patents apply to
Alacritech products, including without limitation: U.S. Patent Nos.
6,226,680, 6,247,060, 6,334,153, 6,393,487, 6,389,479, 6,427,171,
6,427,173, and 6,434,620.
Part Number: 900006 Rev 17 2/03

ii Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide
Organization of This Guide
This guide is the primary reference and operation guide for the
Alacritech 100 and 1000 Series Server and Storage Accelerators and
contains the following sections:
Chapter 1 - Introduction provides a general introduction to the
100 and 1000 Series Server and Storage Accelerators and the SLIC
Technology on which they are based.
Chapter 2 - Software Installation for Windows NT includes the
procedures required to install the software component and configure
the operating system for correct operation.
Chapter 3 – Operations and Management for Windows NT
provides the procedures for monitoring and maintaining the 100 and
1000 Series Server and Storage Accelerators and procedures for
special circumstances.
Chapter 4 - Software Installation for Windows 2000 includes the
procedures required to install the software component and configure
the operating system for correct operation.
Chapter 5 –Operations and Management for Windows 2000
provides the procedures for monitoring and maintaining the 100 and
1000 Series Server and Storage Accelerators and procedures for
special circumstances.
Chapter 6 – Configuring Teaming and Failover supplies
instruction on how to set up FEC/802.3AD compatible teams, send
only load balancing and hot standby failover.
Chapter 7 – Alacritech Accelerator installation in Windows
Powered NAS Appliance outlines special procedures to be
followed to install an Alacritech Accelerator into a Windows
Powered NAS appliance.
Chapter 8 – Troubleshooting and Support provides a list of
possible problems and their solutions.
Appendix A - Network Software License Agreement and
Warranty provides the text of the License Agreement to use the

Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide iii
software component and the Limited Media Warranty for the
software media.

iv Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide
Table of Contents
1Introduction 1-1
1.1 About this Guide 1-1
1.2 Description 1-1
2Software Installation for Windows NT 2-1
2.1 Software Installation Overview 2-1
2.2 Software Installation 2-1
2.3 Uninstalling the Server and Storage Accelerator 2-7
3Operations and Management for Windows NT 3-1
3.1 Overview of Performance Monitoring 3-1
3.2 Running Adapter Diagnostics 3-7
3.3 Disabling IPX/SPX and NetBEUI 3-9
3.4 Disabling SLIC TCP/IP Offload on Select Interfaces 3-13
4Software Installation for Windows 2000 4-1
4.1 Software Installation Overview 4-1
4.2 Software Installation 4-2
4.3 Uninstalling the Server and Storage Accelerator 4-5
5Operations and Management for Windows 2000 5-1
5.1 Overview of Performance Monitoring 5-1
5.2 Running Adapter Diagnostics 5-7
5.3 Disabling SLIC TCP/IP Offload on Select Interfaces 5-9
6Configuring Teaming and Failover 6-1
6.1 Overview of Teaming and Failover 6-1
6.2 Recommended Order of Implementation 6-5
6.3 Windows NT 4.0 Teaming Configuration 6-6
6.4 Windows 2000 Teaming Configuration 6-10
7Alacritech Accelerator Installation in Windows
Powered NAS Appliance 7-1
7.1 Installation Overview 7-1
7.2 Adapter and Driver Installation 7-2

Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide v
7.3 Performance Monitoring 7-5
7.4 Adapter Teaming 7-6
8Troubleshooting and Support 8-1
8.1 Alacritech Automated Customer Support 8-1
8.2 README Files on CD-ROM 8-1
8.3 Troubleshooting Overview 8-1
8.4 Installation Problems 8-2
8.5 Event Log Errors 8-3
8.6 Connectivity Problems 8-4
8.7 Performance Problems 8-10
8.8 Miscellaneous Problems 8-12
Appendix A Network Software License Agreement
and Warranty A-1

Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide 1-1
1 Introduction
1.1 About this Guide
This guide describes how to install software and operate the
Alacritech 100 and 1000 Series Server and Storage Accelerators on
a Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 4 and above) or Windows 2000
system.
1.1.1 Naming conventions
The general term 100 and 1000 Series Server and Storage
Accelerator applies to all of the following adapters, except where
indicated:
•100x1 Single-Port Server and Storage Accelerator
•100x2 Dual-Port Server and Storage Accelerator
•100x4 Quad-Port Server and Storage Accelerator
•1000x1 Single-Port Gigabit Server and Storage Accelerator
•1000x1F Single-Port Gigabit Server and Storage
Accelerator (1000BASE-SX)
1.2 Description
The 100 and 1000 Series Server and Storage Accelerators are
single-port or multi-port 64-bit 10/100Mbps (or 10/100/1000Mbps
for 1000 Series) Server and Storage Accelerators that employ
Alacritech’s SLIC (Session-Layer Interface Card) Technology,
which uses an innovative application-specific integrated circuit
(ASIC) for protocol processing. The 100 and 1000 Series Server

1-2 Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide
and Storage Accelerators operate with Windows NT 4.0 (Service
Pack 4 and above) and Windows 2000 operating systems.
SLIC Technologyincreases server performance and efficiency.
TCP/IP Protocol processing is offloaded onto the Server and
Storage Accelerator, freeing the CPU for application processing
and maximizing throughput.
A unique ASIC utilizes an Internet Protocol Processor (IPP),
optimized for TCP/IP protocol processing, which delivers faster
performance than general purpose CPUs.
SLIC Technology eliminates the burden of TCP/IP protocol
processing on the host CPU. By offloading protocol processing,
SLIC Technology frees the CPU for application processing,
boosting both network and server performance.

Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide 2-1
2 Software Installation for Windows NT
2.1 Software Installation Overview
This chapter covers the installation of the software required for a
100 or 1000 Series Server and Storage Accelerator. There are
different procedures for different types of installations, so take care
to follow the correct procedure. This chapter covers the following
types of situations:
■Installation into an existing Windows NT system with
networking services already established
■Installation into an existing Windows NT system that
has not previously had networking services established
■Installation during the installation of the Windows NT
operating system
■Updating the drivers for an existing 100 or 1000 Series
Server and Storage Accelerator installation
■Uninstalling the 100 or 1000 Series Server and Storage
Accelerator.
2.2 Software Installation
This section covers the procedures for installing the software
required for the 100 and 1000 Series Server and Storage
Accelerators. Follow the appropriate procedure for your type of
installation.

2-2 Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide
2.2.1 Installation of the 100 or 1000 Series Server and
Storage Accelerator into an Existing Windows NT
System with Networking Services Already Established
If the Windows NT server computer has already been set up for
networking services, follow this procedure.
1. Insert the Alacritech Driver Installation CD into the
appropriate drive.
2. Open the Control Panel and double-click the Network
icon.
3. In the Network dialog box, select the Adapters tab and
click the Add button.
4. In the Select Network Adapter dialog box, click the
Have Disk button.
5. In the Insert Disk dialog box, enter D:\ (or the
appropriate drive) and click the OK button.
6. In the Select OEM Option dialog box, select
Alacritech Accelerator and click the OK button.
7. Click the OK button. The SLIC Adapter dialog box
disappears, leaving you back at the Network dialog
box.
8. Verify that the appropriate number of adapters (four
adapters for the 100x4, two for the 100x2, one for the
100x1 and 1000x1) is added to the Network Adapters
list. Adapter [1] on multi-port 100 Series Server and
Storage Accelerators (or the lowest numbered
Alacritech adapter if there are multiple adapters in the
system) corresponds to RJ-45 connector A on the
adapter (the ‘top’ port, furthest from the PCI
connector), and so on.

Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide 2-3
Note: If you wish to place multiple adapters into a team
for load balancing, you may configure the team
now. Refer to Chapter 6 for the configuration
procedure.
9. In the Network dialog box, select the Protocols tab and
verify that Alacritech SLIC TCP/IP Offload is added.
This protocol driver is required for accelerated (a.k.a.
FastPath) operation. Note that the standard Microsoft
TCP/IP Protocol is also required.
10. Click the Close button.
11. After the bindings are re-built, the Microsoft TCP/IP
Properties dialog box appears. Select the [1] adapter
(or the lowest numbered Alacritech adapter if there are
multiple adapters in the system) from the Adapters pull-
down menu and enter the IP Address, Subnet Mask and
(if desired) Default Gateway for this port; repeat for the
[2], [3] and [4] adapters, depending on the adapter
model you have installed. Click the OK button to
complete the process.
12. Restart Windows NT when prompted.
2.2.2 Installation of the 100 or 1000 Series Server and
Storage Accelerator into an Existing Windows NT
System That Has Not Previously Had Networking
Services Established
Note: After networking is installed on a system, the
latest Windows NT Service Pack must be applied
(or reapplied). Refer to the documentation of the
service pack for details.

2-4 Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide
If you attempt to add a 100 or 1000 Series Server and Storage
Accelerator on a system that does not currently have networking
installed, the system will ask you if you wish to install networking.
Installing the 100 and 1000 Series drivers while performing a
networking installation will require that you swap the Alacritech
Driver Installation CD with the Windows NT installation CD
several times. If the CD's are not swapped properly, the Windows
NT network components will not be installed correctly. Follow
these steps carefully to install networking and the 100 or 1000
Series Server and Storage Accelerator on the system.
1. Open the Control Panel and double-click the Network
icon.
2. In the Network Setup wizard, specify that the system
will be "Wired to the network".
3. When prompted to search for a network adapter, click
the Select from list button.
4. On the subsequent screen, click the Have Disk button.
5. Insert the Alacritech Driver Installation CD into your
CD-ROM drive.
6. In the Insert Disk dialog box, enter D:\ (or the
appropriate drive) and click the OK button.
7. In the Select OEM Option dialog box, select
Alacritech Accelerator and click the OK button.
8. In the Windows NT Setup window, click the Next
button.
9. In the Network Protocols window, select the
appropriate protocols. Note that in order to realize the
benefit of the Alacritech SLIC TCP/IP Offload, TCP/IP
must be installed on the system.
10. In the Network Services window, select the appropriate
services for your system.

Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide 2-5
11. When Windows NT Setup specifies that it "needs to
copy some Windows NT files", replace the Alacritech
Driver Installation CD with the Windows NT
installation CD, specify the drive letter corresponding to
your CD-ROM and click the Continue button.
12. A Setup Message will appear, asking you to "insert the
disk labeled: 100 and 1000 Series Driver Installation
CD." Do so and click the OK button.
13. IMPORTANT! - When the TCP/IP Setup window
appears, asking if you wish to use DHCP, replace the
Alacritech Driver Installation CD with the Windows
NT installation CD. Then respond by clicking the Yes
or No button, depending on your network’s
requirements.
14. After all of the networking files are copied, you will
once again be prompted to "insert the disk labeled: 100
and 1000 Series Driver Installation CD." Insert the
Alacritech Driver Installation CD and click the OK
button.
15. Continue with the installation as instructed.
2.2.3 Installation of the 100 or 1000 Series Server and
Storage Accelerator during the Installation of the
Windows NT Operating System
Installing the 100 and 1000 Series drivers while performing a
Windows NT operating system installation will require that you
swap the Alacritech Driver Installation CD with the Windows NT
installation CD several times. If the CDs are not swapped properly,
the Windows NT network components will not be installed
correctly. Take care to follow these instructions carefully.
1. During Windows NT setup, specify that the computer
will participate on a network and that it will be "Wired
to the network".

2-6 Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide
2. When prompted to search for a network adapter, click
the Select from list button.
3. On the subsequent screen, click the Have Disk button.
4. In the Insert Disk dialog box, enter D:\ (or the
appropriate drive), remove the Windows NT installation
CD from your computer and replace it with the
Alacritech Driver Installation CD and click the OK
button.
5. The "Alacritech 100 and 1000 Series Adapter" option
will appear. Click the OK button.
6. In the Windows NT Setup window, click the Next
button.
7. In the Network Protocols window, select the
appropriate protocols. Note that in order to realize the
benefit of the Alacritech SLIC TCP/IP Offload, TCP/IP
must be installed on the system.
8. In the Network Services window, select the appropriate
services for your system.
9. IMPORTANT! - When the TCP/IP Setup window
appears, asking if you wish to use DHCP, replace the
Alacritech Driver Installation CD with the Windows
NT installation CD. Then respond by selecting Yes or
No, depending on your network’s requirements.
10. After networking files are copied off of the Windows
NT installation CD, the system will prompt you to
"insert the disk labeled: 100 and 1000 Series Driver
Installation CD."
Continue with the remainder of the installation, and after the
networking portion of the installation is complete, replace
the Alacritech Driver Installation CD with the Windows
NT installation CD.

Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide 2-7
2.2.4 Updating the 100 and 1000 Series Drivers on
Windows NT Systems
The 100 and 1000 Series driver set can be updated on Windows NT
systems using the following procedure:
1. Open the Control Panel and double-click the Network
icon.
2. In the Network dialog box, select the Adapters tab.
3. Select one of the 100 or 1000 Series Server and Storage
Accelerators.
4. Select Update.
5. Insert the Alacritech Driver Installation CD into your
CD-ROM drive and specify the drive letter
corresponding to your CD-ROM drive in the Setup
window.
6. Click the Close button to exit the Network program.
7. Restart your computer.
2.3 Uninstalling the Server and Storage Accelerator
2.3.1 Removal of the 100 or 1000 Series Server and
Storage Accelerator on a Windows NT System
To remove the 100 or 1000 Series Server and Storage Accelerator
from the system, follow this procedure. Take care to remove all
software drivers for the card before unplugging the adapter.
1. Open the Control Panel and double-click the Network
icon.
2. In the Network dialog box, select the Adapters tab.
3. Select one of the Alacritech 100 or 1000 Series Server
and Storage Accelerator entries associated with the
adapter you wish to remove and click the Remove

2-8 Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide
button. In the Warning dialog box, click the Yes button
to confirm. Repeat for all remaining 100 or 1000 Series
entries for that adapter.
4. Shut down the computer, and unplug the power cable.
Failure to do so may endanger you, and may damage
the adapter or computer.
Note: Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerators use
components that are sensitive to ESD. Proper ESD
handling and storage should be followed.
5. Remove the computer cover, and remove the 100 or
1000 Series Server and Storage Accelerator from the
system.

Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide 3-1
3 Operations and Management for
Windows NT
3.1 Overview of Performance Monitoring
Performance data for the 100 and 1000 Series Server and Storage
Accelerator can be seen by running Performance Monitor, which is
located in the Administrative Tools folder on your Windows NT
system. Select the SLIC object in the Performance Monitor
program to review SLIC specific counters. Among the counters
maintained under the SLIC object is the "FastPath Data Rate." This
counter measures the percentage of TCP/IP traffic that is being
processed by the 100 and 1000 Series Server and Storage
Accelerator as opposed to the traffic that is processed by the host
protocol stack. A FastPath data rate of 90% or higher indicates the
100 or 1000 Series Accelerator is working properly.
3.1.1 Using the Performance Monitor Application
To check the performance of your system, run Performance
Monitor, specifying the variables you wish to monitor. Follow this
procedure to check the performance of the 100 and 1000 Series
Server and Storage Accelerator.

3-2 Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide
1. Run the performance Monitor application from the Start
Menu, located under Programs in the Administrative Tools
folder.
2. Under the Edit menu, select Add To Chart.

Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide 3-3
3. In the Object field, select Processor and in the Counter
field, select % Processor Time and click the Add button.
Next, in the Object field, select Server and in the Counter
field, select Bytes Total/sec and click the Add button.
These objects indicate how much CPU time is being used
on the system and how much data is being transferred by
the Server process, which is responsible for file sharing.
Before the Alacritech 100 and 1000 Series Server and
Storage Accelerator is installed, when clients are generating
a lot of traffic to and from the server's file systems, your
display should look similar to this:
In this example, the average CPU usage is over 90% (red
line) and approximately 41 MB/sec of data is being handled
by the Server process (green line).
4. With a 100 or 1000 Series Server and Storage Accelerator
installed, add Alacritech performance information to the
chart. In the Object field, select SLIC and in the Counter
field, select FastBytes Total/sec and click the Add button.
Next, in the Object field, select SLIC and in the Counter

3-4 Alacritech Server and Storage Accelerator User’s Guide
field, select SlowBytes Total/sec and click the Add button.
FastBytes represents data moving through the 100 or 1000
Series Server and Storage Accelerator’s on-card TCP/IP
protocol stack (FastPath) and SlowBytes represents data
moving through the host protocol stack, as it does with a
conventional network interface card.
5. After the SLIC additions, your display should look similar
to this: